Daily Republican., 1887-03-28

Tnougn tne Levy court mas sent
bill to the L,gislaturs to be put through
taxing the oed OF the p, W. g. B. rail-
road In New CASTLE County the Same as
any other property. there IL very little
probability that the measure will be-
come Law, ~ IL will ind but few
friends among the members from the
two lower counties. In those counties
the road bed has not been taxed for
county purposes and the loss Of the tax
raised from that source In New Castle
county will not be felt. The loss Of
that tax, however, In New Castle
county will be . serious matter. To
make up some nine thousand dollars In
taxes will require considerable in
crease in the tax rate, which will not
be very rsassuring to property hol1ers.
1t is difficult to see upon what theory
the Railroad can claim exemption from
taxation for county purposes when Its
trusted attorneys inform us that the
corporation does not ask to be released
from taxation for municipal purposes,
even should the law be construed to
mean that forty thousand dollars In
taxes In bulk was TO stand In lieu OF all
other taxes.
The man who purchases aa acre or
two Of land from farmer Is taxed by
the county for that lot Of land. The
former owner paid tax for 1t, and Q
transfer OF 1t to other owners does not
relieve 1t Of taxation. The man who
bought 1t goes to work and ereots build
ings upon 1t to make homo for him
self aud family. He 10 taxed for his
house and other Improvements and
very properly 30.
A railroad company stands In the same
position. 1t 10 continually acquiring
more land for Its purposes that were
taxed. Does . transfer Of 1t to the
company relieve 1t from taxation? II
it does, then for every lot Of land sold
TO the railroad company, the taxpayers
must pay higher rate OF tax to make
up the losses. The company goes to
work and lays ties and rails upon the
lots purchased. and besides erscts water
tanks, freight houses and station.
houses. Is the company to pay no
taxes whatever TOR this increased value
of property, while for every improve
ment any body else makes upon his lots
he Is to be taxed to the full value Of
the improvement? This logic does not
seem reasonable.
There is no fa'rer method OF levying
taxes than to do 1t without dis,rlmina-
tion. The property OF railroad com pa.
mics should be taxed like any other
kind Of properly, and we doubt II any
company will obje,t to that. Oar State
was led into the present difficulty some
fourteen years ago, when q very strong
feeling inimical to the P, w. s. b
Railroad existed. In adjusting the
taxes the railroad company was treated
as corporation without soul or con.
science. With the ten-cent tax fol
passengers, the tax on the rolling stock
road beds and other property. the az.
grega.e WAS enormous. The first had
been declared unconstitutional, bul
even without 1t the proposed taxes az
gregAted some $4,000. It was then
that the railroad company threatened
retaliation by taxing the peach indus
try, which was about that time loom
ing into huge proportions. Our law
makers saw that the more taxes they
laid upon the railroad the more tariff
the railroad laid upon peach freights
1t was then that President Hlnckle,
went to Dover and proposed to tn
Committee on Ways and Means to pa
to the State $40, 600 annually in lieu @
all other taxes, and the proposition wa
accepted.
The railroad company maintains tbs
that means no taxes paid for count
purposes, and yet /. Is willing to pa
municipal taxes. II does not requir
the keen insight of q lawyer to con vino
the most ob.use intellect that the CON
pAny 10 no more bound to pay munic
pal taxes than county taxes under th
construction 1t has placed upon til
law. That II does not refuse to pa
municipal taxes is matter merely
its own choice. The railroad has dor
more than any other agency within th
last thirty years to develop the indu
trial resources OF the State, and 1t
not right nor proper that 1t should
imposed upon and made to pey di
criminative and unjust taxes, but 1t
equally as right and proper that
should bear Its equal burshens Of taxi
ton. Thefe is no fairer way to get
an equalizsd systen OF taxation tbs
by repeal OF the present law and
return to the principle OF one law +
all.